The event held in Vienna last month opened with a session focused on how brands can position even highly specific products by considering the broader lifestyle of the consumer.
Listen to the TikTok generation
Dr. Mark Evans, senior scientist at Holland and Barrett, highlighted several key opportunities in the active nutrition market, including the importance of the influence of social media on Gen Z, with platforms like TikTok offering targeted communication.
There is an opportunity to innovate in product formats for younger generations who are “social-first, trend-driven, highly visual,” he said.
“You know, when you’re scrolling through TikTok, you come across a lot of content, and it’s overwhelming at times. What we’re seeing is that Gen Z doesn’t necessarily like how traditional brands present themselves on these platforms, meaning highly polished, scripted content.”
He cited the example of working with a well-known sports nutrition brand and involving a respected academic to discuss the product in social media posts. However, the campaign failed to connect with the intended audience.
“We were discussing a protein drink mix and trying to educate consumers, but the feedback we got was that it felt robotic, scripted and frankly, inauthentic,” he said.
Instead, what Dr. Evans sees working is content that actually resonates and does not appear polished, which is raw, direct, and attention-grabbing, such as ‘myth-busting’ or ‘five things to know about X ingredient’.
Stack ingredients
The concept of “active nutrition” is well understood to go beyond traditional sports performance and encompass a broader spectrum of health missions and goals, including stress and anxiety, heart health and circulation, sleep and relaxation, cognitive health, energy, immunity, joint, bone, muscle health and gut health.
But as Dr. Evans said, catering to these health areas can be tricky as consumers may associate certain research-backed ingredients with health benefits that may not adhere to EFSA claims. Such ingredients include collagen for joint health, some nootropics for mind health and branched-chain-amino-acids (BCAAs) for muscle recovery and reduced fatigue.
He noted an opportunity for brands to create products that combine efficacious doses of multiple ingredients for synergistic effects such as magnesium, zinc and vitamin C.
“If you think about what you want your product to say, there are ways to help people make that connection,” he said. “One approach is to stack the product with ingredients that either have approved health claims, such as those recognized by the EFSA or are already commonly associated with specific benefits.
“What’s most important, though, is ensuring that any ingredient included is present at an efficacious dose, that you understand the ingredient, and you know the mission or goal you’re aiming for.”
App partnerships
Dr. Stephen Daniells, editor-in-chief of NutraIngredients, drew from the results of a global consumer survey involving 6,000 people across nine countries. The Lumina Intelligence data highlighted a key opportunity in positioning products: Partnering with popular user tech.
According to the data, popular apps include MyFitnessPal, Fitbit, Strava and Nike as 78% to 79% of younger consumers (under 34) use fitness or health trackers.
As Dr. Daniells noted, there is a significant opportunity for brands to partner with these apps, with 91% of consumers reporting buying products recommended by apps at least once a year, with a substantial portion (23%) buying monthly and (48%) quarterly.
However, while digital recommendations present a clear opportunity, the vast majority of sports nutrition purchases still happen in physical stores, making it essential for brands to consider the in-person experience when positioning their SKUs.
Accessible positioning
During her presentation, Aishwarya Rajpara, consultant at Euromonitor International, recommended that brands consider format differentiation to broaden consumer health perceptions.
Using the example of protein, she shared that while protein powder holds the largest share (43%) in the European sports nutrition industry, there is significant growth in other formats. The highest growth is being seen in ready-to-drink (RTD) formats, and bars also show strong growth, with an 11% CAGR in Europe between 2022 and 2024.
“European consumers are increasingly prioritizing products that are convenient, portable, ready-to-drink or in bar format,” she said.
As for capsules, while bottle packaging remains dominant, there is an upward trend in flexible packaging as alternative to the conventional plastic containers.
“We’re seeing new products launched in formats like tubes and pouches, as consumers increasingly seek convenient, on-the-go options,” she said. “Gels and creams are also beginning to emerge in this space, though the category remains underdeveloped and offers significant room for innovation.”
Key takeaways
- Brands must consider the broader lifestyle of their target consumers, not just the product’s specific function.
- Gen Z, especially on platforms like TikTok, prefers unpolished, direct and relatable content over scripted and overly polished brand messaging.
- Combining multiple ingredients at efficacious doses that either have recognized health claims or are commonly associated with benefits can enhance product appeal.
- Younger consumers widely use health and fitness apps, therefore partnering with these apps is a major opportunity since a high percentage of consumers purchase products recommended through them regularly.
- Packaging innovation is important, and emerging portable formats such as tubes, pouches, gels and creams could offer great opportunities for innovation.